The Cheesecake Factory

I almost never write reviews for corporate franchise chain restaurants, but every Cheesecake Factory I’ve been too has been shockingly good. It’s roughly the same price as an Applebee’s or Olive Garden, but you get a much better experience for your money.
Consistent, freshly prepared dishes, with intense flavors and comically large portions.
Pleasant décor and atmosphere. Very friendly and attentive staff. Despite their name, it’s a great place to come even if you don’t like cheesecake. It’s got an endless menu with over 100 options, for every palette and preference.
Some companies are big, because they’re big. Other’s are big, because they deserve to be. Treat yourself to a Cadillac at Chevy prices. I think you get a better experience for the money here, than any other large chain out there.

Holy menus Batman! For those of you that have never tried the Cheesecake Factory, their menu is… extensive. It’s my personal belief that if your menu needs page numbers, you have too many things on the menu, but what do I know? The thing about CF is you have to remember their thing is cheesecake and they do that well. It’s hard for me to say they do it any better than that, because really, I don’t like cake, even ones made of cheese. As for the food, they have a ton of options and they are consistent. If you find something there you love, more than likely you will love it every time. Like I usually get a pizza or this chicken BBQ salad which rocks! But is HUGE!
Because we had stopped by before going to the movies, we were eating rather light. Two of us got the pizza and salad lunch for about $ 13.00, which was really reasonable considering the pizza is a decent size, AND you get to choose from any pizza toppings you want; I chose the chicken BBQ. Mmmmmm! The salad was literally just greens and a couple tomato quarters… not as Mmmmmmm.
The BF got the lunch size meatloaf, which was not really to his/​our liking. It comes smothered in gravy and onions, and I am an anti-​onion person. Everyone got desert– cheesecake, of course– and the best by far was the salted caramel. Coming in a close second was the raspberry lemon, which was very refreshing and, because it has a cake layer (or something, I can’t really remember) it is one of the least bad for you, calorically speaking. The Hershey’s chocolate was a dud. Just really chocolatey without any charm or pizazz.
My parting advice would be to check out the menu on line BEFORE going, to narrow down you options, so you don’t go into menu shock when you get there (seriously, it’s like 14 pages).

Great food. Great service with a smile and good attitude! I have visited this location several times and have never been disappointed!

I’ve waited a couple visits to review The Cheesecake Factory because I’ve had some mediocre experiences that I thought might not have been very representative of their usual quality of service and food. Unfortunately, my most recent visit was really unpleasant, and I feel that the mediocre experiences I’ve had in the past are probably as good as it can get.
Our most recent visit was on a busy night, and the wait was about a half an hour. We were pleasantly surprised that we were seated in only about 20 minutes, but it was only down hill from there. We ordered the grilled artichoke as an appetizer (which probably wasn’t the strongest choice considering the other options), but it was inedible. I’m not a picky eater and I’ve never sent any dish back at a restaurant, so we didn’t make a fuss, but we physically could not chew it. When our waiter saw that we had hardly touched it and asked how it was, we just laughed and said it was inedible, but all he said was, «hopefully your entrees are better.»
My boyfriend ordered the spicy cashew chicken and I ordered the chicken piccata. My chicken was okay. It didn’t have a whole lot of flavor, and it only had 3 little capers on it (which is my favorite part!), but the spicy cashew chicken was really bad. The rice was actually floating in the amount of sauce that the chicken was drenched in. My boyfriend could hardly eat any of it. To make things worse, we never once had our waters filled during the entire meal even though my boyfriend’s water was empty after only about 20 minutes. In addition, our waiter was very difficult to track down to get our checks, and then it was a good while once again before he took our payment.
The only redeeming aspect of our meal was the dessert. We ordered the red velvet cheesecake (in which we waited quite some time to order it and then have it brought to our table), but it was delicious! I will probably opt out of ever dining here again, but I might order the cheesecake for takeout.

Service was great food delicious. Nice selection of cheesecakes. They don’t take reservations so you must be at the restaurant and all the party must be there to get seated.

One of my favorite places too take the kids when there home from college or during the holidays good food and great cheesecake though seems rather hard too navigate through sometimes. very professional waitress thanks again will be back .Dave s

We stopped in to celebrate my moms birthday. She doesnt get out much so i knew she’d be blown away by CF. We ordered macaroni and cheese balls for appetizer. For dinner, I ordered the Shrimp & Chicken Gumbo. Bobby ordered the Bang Bang Chicken & Shrimp. My picky mom went to the servers suggestion of Chicken Madiera. I tried everyone’s dish and all of it was tasty.
For dessert, I ordered the simple strawberry cheesecake. amazing. Kayla was our server and she was a great one. I’m gonna keep this short and sweet ;)

Last night me and hubby went to have a dinner night out. I’m Unilocaling bc the service was fantastic. It was refreshing to have a friendly and hard working server bc we all know pittsburgh isn’t known for that. Thank you Grace!!! Pens game at home so it wasn’t as packed as normal. Also, the gluten free pasta options are the best. I recommend this location even if you have to wait. Ps of course we ended up leaving with a cheese cake. red velvet!

I love love the cheesecake factory!!! There is something for everyone… no matter what you are in the mood for, they probably have it or something close

Went to celebrate my niece’s 16^th birthday (omg, my niece is 16). She picked the place. It was good but not great. At least the cheesecake was amazing! Been to the cheesecake factory before. I feel like the menu is way too big. I feel the food could be phenomenal but there is just way too much on the menu. We were seated immediately and were waited on promptly by our wonderful waitress. She was great the entire time we were there. I chose the herb encrusted salmon with the lemon sauce on the side. The fish was way overcooked but the asparagus and mashed potatoes were yummy. My niece chose fettuccine Alfredo and thought is was delightful. My sister chose the ahi tuna salad and raved about it. The hubby got the Cuban sandwich and liked it a lot noting a little greasy but good. My mom got the chicken salad sandwich and liked it other than the fact it was too much to eat. My dad got some sort of chicken and liked it (I am not sure what kind of chicken because he was at the opposite end of the table). Then dessert. You can’t go to the cheesecake factory and not get dessert. Me and my mom got the strawberry classic. Light and tasty! The hubby chose tiramisu which he thoroughly enjoyed (it too was good, good flavor and a huge portion). My dad got chocolate cake which he devoured. My sister got the salted caramel pretzel, wow! It was heavier but man was it scrumptious! And the birthday girl chose the tuxedo which was chocolatey and good! All in all the food was just okay. The wait staff was terrific and the dessert is phenomenal!

I can honestly say I have never had a bad meal/​experience here! I’m a creature of habit so I usually order the same thing except here I tend to try new dishes! The food is ALWAYS amazing and the service is up to par every single time. I’ve never spoken to a manager there and I see that as a good thing! My aunt and I got the chicken nachos as an appetizer (which could feed a family of 6) and I got the Avacado chicken sandwich on rye with mozzarella which was to die for! Not to mention I somehow found a way to get desert. I finished with a Reese’s cup cheesecake which was incredible! Already dreaming of the next time we ~

I’ve been to this particular Cheesecake Factory maybe 5 or 6 times now. I love this place regardless that it’s a chain because it’s one of the higher quality bang for the buck type of restaurants. This one’s a bit different in that it’s a standalone building in what seems to be the centerpiece of Southside Works with a mini water fountain type plaza in the front.
We came on a Sunday around 3:30pm this time around and there wasn’t really a wait at all. Originally we were just going to have dessert but I’m not really one for sweets so I ended up getting my favorite dish which is the hibachi steak.
The Cheesecake Factory’s menu is crazy and has a wide variety of things to choose from but as of late and for as often as we go I always seem to gravitate towards this same dish. It looked a little different this time around as the steak although still sliced, wasn’t scattered and was pretty much left as a whole. The asparagus were smaller cut spears than previously which seemed to be about 2 or 3 whole spears tempura battered and fried. The mashed potatoes seemed the same as before but with much more wasabi butter as usual which I did not mind at all. The steak is sliced, with sprouts and mushrooms in a sugar and soy type of sauce. Delicious!
Overall this is my favorite dish and while I’ve had many at many Cheesecake Factories all over the continent this is still my fall back menu item and I love it. Everybody that has ever had a taste of my dish it pretty much became their favorite dish too OR they said it was amazing.
The service at this particular Cheesecake and pretty much all for that matter is always great. The floor here much like many I’ve been to before as well seems slippery, greasy or whatever. I don’t know what it is but if you have deck shoes here it could be dangerous!
They pretty much all have the same décor and lighting, the foods basically all the same and so is the service. Still as good as it gets for medium priced sit down chains and I’m looking forward to when they finally come up to Toronto in the near future.
Wifi would be nice considering people come from all over to eat here and the place is large.

The Cheesecake Factory is home to my favorite dish of all time, the crispy chicken costoletta. It is so good I can’t even put it in words and for that alone it gets the 5 star rating.
The service has never been terrible and the drinks are pretty good too.
Can’t wait to see you again, Cheesecake Factory.

For as huge this place is, and the fact that it’s usually packed beyond belief, they do a damn good job! I usually end up going in pretty late, but they never make us feel rushed or like we’re keeping them there late. Whether I sit at the bar or we grab a booth, service is pretty quick and friendly!
My favorite drink is the Strawberry Creamsicle that comes with a fresh strawberry on top [the menu doesn’t tell you, but it has whipped cream on top too]. I still eat like I’m 5, so it’s always nachos or chicken for me and occasionally steak. The food can be hit or miss, honestly. I’ve gotten some pretty dry chicken and once my friend sent back 2 different dishes. I really don’t prefer to send things back, but I on one occasion I did send back my mid-​rare steak that came out so well done that it was hard for me to chew (nbd). The manger comped it for me and was sincerely super nice!
If you read my other reviews you’ll notice that I prefer the divey, down-​home types of places. For being a chain, I really do like Cheesecake!

Go to Italian for all times I hang out with my friend J in the Southside. It’s simple and quick and close and the menu is large enough to cut through most cravings. I get.
This location get super crowded on Friday and Saturday nights, Sunday brunch/​lunch because it’s super close to all the Universities and a magnet for families and groups.
The menu is your standard Italian and I personally like the service at this location over the North Hills Ross Park Mall version [home mall] where it’s hit or miss. After you get past a possible wait it’s smooth sailing, everybody pitches into the process from food running and clearing the table, refilling glasses and bringing bread. It’s a machine. Awesome.
My favorite for this restaurant is the skinnylicious menu from drinks to salads and foods. I love the mix of asparagus as their go-​to veggie and they even manage to sneak in a bunch of carbs in too whether some mashed potatoes [steak dish] or angel hair [shrimp-​lemon with asparagus]. very good. PS: do chew your food and not engulf like I do… I completely understand how people can choke to death.
Of course get some cheesecake to go. We bought the Pecan Truffle [and a couple extra ingredients] goodness and the White chocolate Macadamian Nut. [Yum]. Just a hint — these do NOT work when you’re sipping Apple Martinis. NO.
Will come again

I don’t really come here a lot because it’s always insanely busy (when I would go, anyway) and the wait is like a million years long. I went with a friend here last Friday spur of the moment and she called ahead to see what the wait was. They told her over the phone there was no wait and when she showed up before me like 10 – 15 minutes later the wait was all of a sudden 40 minutes long. What. Thankfully, she knew someone and she was able to get a table quicker.
I got there when she was already seated and the crowd was out of control. It seems there’s no rhyme or reason to the throng of people because everyone stands in a big huddle and sometimes blocks the entrance. Annoying. We had a nice man as our waiter and his customer service was fabulous. We weren’t ignored and he was prompt in coming back to fill water and get our orders. I loved the bread that comes out while we waited for our food. We both ordered salads — for me a Luau salad and for my friend a Cobb. Who orders salads at Cheesecake Factory, right? Ha.
When they came out, it was like 2 – 3 portions on one plate. My salad has a variety of flavors and ingredients. It was really, really good. In the middle of the salad there were these two flat pieces of something crunchy. It tasted like it was coated with something sweet and sesame seeds. I took a few bites of it and scooped my salad with it. The customer service and food (enough for a good amount of leftovers!) was great! I don’t prefer the crowd and wait times though.

I know this place is a bit of a cliché, and yes, it’s a chain, and blah, blah, blah, but I can’t stop coming here. Is it the 20 page menu? The spacious establishment? The delicious fresh bread that comes out while you wait for your entrée? Honestly, I think it is all those things, but for me, it’s the one page «skinny» menu with the low cal/​low fat options. These healthy creations are not only tasty, but the portions are nice, and you have several options. The «Skinnylicious» menu ranges from salads, to fish, to pasta, to steak, to tacos. And the list goes on. So yeah, I go to the Cheesecake Factory and I’m not mad about it.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that they have an amazing assortment of cheesecake. I don’t usually partake, but often I’m talked into sharing a piece with a friend or a group, and I’ve had some damn good cheesecake here. My favorite is Oreo or cookie dough. Or dulce de leche. Or mango. Ok, so maybe I do partake in the cheesecake. But cut me a break, I saved oh so many calories by ordering from the Skinnylicious menu!

I have not been disappointed with this restaurant. The quality of food and alcoholic drinks are always top notch. I ordered the blended Georgia Peach and for my appetizer I got fried zucchini. Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables. I ordered the lunch portion of the Pasta Da Vinci. Another delectable dish. I try not to order the same dish twice. The only thing I didn’t do that I normally do when I attend the restaurant is order CHEESECAKE!!! I shall return for my slice!

The cheesecakes are good and the setting is kind of fancy smancy, but that is all. Everything went downhill from that point. The Cheesecake Factory just intensifies my dislike for restaurant chains.
Now, let me whine, cry and complain. It’s way too dark in there, how the heck am I supposed to read the menu? Are there sketchy stuff in the food that you guys don’t want me to see? Also, it took nearly an hour for my food to arrive. My eating companions literally left the restaurant to walk around and when they came back, I’m still there nibbling on bread and butter. The frustrating part is that the restaurant was not even that busy. I got to try the avocado eggrolls, which were so bland. The Bang-​Bang Chicken and Shrimp dish, which was just a super sweet curry dish. It looks kind of gross, but tastes ok. The Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta was not even spicy at all, but was actually the most edible dish on the table.
Overall, the long wait really turned me off and the food was not that impressive. I recommend this place for the tasty cheesecakes, and ONLY the tasty cheesecakes.

Cheesecake factory take 2: Southside location this time.
I still hate it! After my previous review on the Ross park location, I declared that I would never be back. Joke’s on me though, because someone though we would love a Cheesecake Factory $ 50 gift card for our anniversary. -.- Thank you SO MUCH. I’m not trying to be ungrateful, but I made it pretty well known that if you wanted to give us gifts, make it Home Depot gift cards or cash. This weekend, we figured we’d get it over with. Yes. It’s actually painful to eat here, even when it’s for free.
After waiting for an hour, we got seated, then were asked to get up so they could move our table. Then they put in other little tables an arm’s length away. I imagine this is so that everyone could eavesdrop on how everyone else’s date was going. Very thoughtful of them. I think the couple on our left probably won’t be going out again. The dude was trying real hard, but there’s only so much small talk you can do before it starts to become awkward, and the girl he was with was just not doing anything to help him out. I’d dump her…
We got an app, crab wontons. The filling tasted like mustard, which wasn’t even in the description, and the dipping sauce was bland. Very boring. Tyler said he prefers the ones I make at home, and they’re a hot mess.
For my meal, I got the chicken Baja tacos. They looked beautiful. Unfortunately they were extremely tasteless and the chicken was dry. The best thing on the plate was the side of black beans and rice. I think I’ve figured out how this place works. They probably cook up mass portions of chicken and then just throw it on whatever meal it goes with. I doubt anything is cooked to order or marinated. It tasted old and dry and the seasoning it had on it did nothing for it. I actually tried to make it better by tossing some salt on it. No one should ever, EVER, have to salt a taco.
We skipped cheesecake since I was disappointed in it last time and instead shared a dulce de leche caramel shake. That was the best part of the night!
Service was a little rushed and impersonal, but what can you expect with a restaurant this huge and messy? If I ever get another gift card for this place, I’m giving it back or giving it away. This is just a bad idea of a restaurant and that’s all there is to it. It’s level of success will remain a mystery to me, like the Bermuda Triangle or the Loch Ness monster.